


Passing the torch

by ArielAquarial



Series: Family of Three [24]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Fatherhood, Kid Claire Novak, Kid Jack Kline, M/M, Misguided Dean Winchester
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-20
Updated: 2020-10-20
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:55:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,659
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27125527
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArielAquarial/pseuds/ArielAquarial
Summary: Since the moment Dean heard they were adopting a baby boy, he’s been planning all the father-son things they’d do together from playing catch, fixing Baby with him, going fishing... Basically, every stereotypical thing you could think of. But things don’t go exactly as planned in the Novak household...
Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester
Series: Family of Three [24]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1127873
Comments: 15
Kudos: 153





	Passing the torch

**Author's Note:**

> I already have half of the next one done! I've been on a roll with these two lately!

“He’s a baby,” Cas told Dean from his place at the breakfast nook. He nursed a steaming cup of coffee and held the morning paper rigidly in front of himself while their children picked at their breakfast. “He can’t help you.”

“Well, I know that. What do you think I am, an idiot?”

Cas just squinted at him in a way that made his opinion on that matter very clear before he went back to his paper.

Dean continued, ignoring Cas. “And he’s almost one, that practically makes him a toddler.”

“Is that so?”

He turned to a drooling Jack, Eggo waffle clenched in his fist and scrambled eggs stuck between the strands of his hair. “Isn’t that right, Jack? You’re such a big boy, aren’t you!”

Jack smiled and squealed at the attention, waving his hands and throwing the rest of his breakfast onto the floor. Cas rolled his eyes and got up to take the tray off of the highchair before placing him on the floor. Both men watched him for a moment as he stood on two chubby legs, hoping that he’d take his first steps, but like usual, Jack plopped onto his butt and began to crawl towards Dean.

Dean scooped the little guy up and squeezed him. “See? He _wants_ to help me with the tune-up.”

Jack stared at him for a moment before twisting and facing Cas. “Dada!”

Dean turned, putting his body between Jack and his other dad. “You’re killing me, kid.”

Cas chuckled from behind him. “Yes, it really sounds like he wants to work on Baby with you.”

“Listen, I have to get started. We’re burning daylight, here.”

Claire jumped up from her own breakfast to hug Dean. “Can I help, too?”

Dean shook his head. “Sorry, sweetie. I really want to show Jack how Baby works. Maybe some other time.”

“Pretty please?”

He smiled and gave her a gentle pat on her head. “Why don’t we have our own little tea party after I’m done?”

She let out a sigh and went back to the table to finish her waffle. “Ok, but I don’t want Jack to come. He doesn’t leave the dolls alone and last time he spilled all the tea.”

Dean made his escape while he still could and practically ran to the garage door. He hit the opener and smiled as it began its slow rise, watching the sun light up Baby’s wax job. He couldn’t wait to introduce Jack to the inner workings of Baby just like his own dad did decades ago. Just about the only good times he remembered having with his dad was spent bent over Baby’s engine, and after owning the car for more than twenty years, he was finally going to be able to pass on his knowledge. He couldn’t wait.

Dean spent the next few minutes strapping Jack into the baby carrier, frowning at the way his son was beginning to outgrow the contraption. It seemed like just yesterday they had to use the little booster insert because he was too small, and now the chest support was getting a little snug around his twenty-two-pound frame. Next thing he knew, Jack would be fourteen and too old to hand out with his dads. He shuddered at the thought. “Come on, little man… let's show you how to swap out some spark plugs and do an oil change.”

With Jack attached securely into the baby carrier, Dean was able to pop the hood and lean low over the engine. His explanations of Baby’s insides were rudimentary, “This is the engine block, and all these parts work together to make the car go. We like that, don’t we? Vroom, vroom.” He pinched Jack’s chubby cheek. “And this where I put the oil, here’s the coolant, and right here is where the radiator fluid goes….” On and on he went, explaining little bits here and there, uncaring that Jack was more entertained by how his chubby legs were swinging above the car as Dean leaned over her engine. “Now, let’s grab those spark plugs I ordered.”

It only took him a few minutes to have everything ready for his tune-up, and already, Jack was showing signs of boredom. He started with the babbling, growing louder and louder by the minute, then the squirming started followed by little grunts as he struggled against the baby carrier. The grand finale was a well-aimed pinch to the tender skin of Dean’s inner elbow. He flinched and let out a grunt of pain, before pulling Jack’s fingers away from his arm. “No, Jack. No pinching.”

Jack babbled some more, interjecting a few loud “ _No!”_ s between the incomprehensible sounds. As much as he understood his frustration at being strapped to someone’s chest, he was dedicated to finishing. It felt like some ceremonial passing of the torch, or at least the beginnings of it. Maybe by the time he was Claire's age, he’d be able to hold the flashlight and pass him the correct tools. Dean shushed and rocked him, hoping to soothe him long enough to finish the job.

Jack allowed him to wrench off the spark plugs and put two of them back on before he lost his mind. It started like it did before, a few grunts and his chubby little arms pushing at whatever part of Dean they could reach, then it escalated to full-blown tears and wails. Dean shushed and carded his fingers through Jack’s soft hair, tried stroking his face from forehead to the tip of his nose which always seemed to work for Cas, and even hummed a tune and bounced him, but Jack’s crying only got louder.

Dean put his things down and walked back into the house to grab him applesauce from the fridge, hoping the snack would be just the thing that calmed him. He unhooked the baby carrier and let it fall to the tile floor, hoping that not being held down would calm him, and he handed the snack to his son. Jack calmed and sat quietly on Dean’s hip, watching the applesauce curiously, and in the next second, he clenched the packet tightly and it squirted up Dean’s neck and dripped into his shirt.

With a defeated sigh, he placed Jack onto the kitchen floor and sat at the breakfast nook with his head in his hands. He should have known things weren’t going to work out. Jack was only 11 months old, not even old enough to be walking, and Dean could laugh at himself for thinking Jack would sit quietly in his carrier for the hour it took to do the tune-up. Cas was right, he _was_ an idiot.

He let out one last sigh, pushed himself to his feet, and collected Jack, not happy about having to admit his defeat. Cas was never one to say ‘I told you so,’ but Dean knew he’d be thinking it.

He took care of his shirt first, swapping it for another one of his old work shirts, and then went to find Cas. He heard them before he saw them, making Lego robots and planning an invasion in the kids room. She was squealing loudly while Cas threatened to shoot her with his laser, his voice low, and monotone. Dean paused in the doorway and watched them, sending a Cas a reassuring smile when the man glanced at him and Jack.

“You have a little something…” He gestured to Dean’s neck. “Did he get sick?”

He set Jack down then used the edge of his shirt to wipe the spot of applesauce off his neck. Jack was already crawling to Claire’s toy box, ten times happier than he was when he was out with Dean. “He had an applesauce accident.”

Claire laughed. “It looked like throw up!”

“Trust me, it’s applesauce.”

“Everything ok?”

“He didn’t want to do the tune-up with me.”

To his credit, Cas merely nodded in understanding. “Jack is more than welcome to join us. Isn’t that right, Claire?”

“Yeah! We’re invading Saturn! You can be the blue robot!” She thrust a clump of Legos at her brother. “This one can fly.”

He lingered, wanting nothing more than to join Cas and play robot invaders with the kids. Dean must have hesitated just a minute too long because Cas cleared his throat and addressed him again. “Want to join us?”

Oh god, he really did. “Can’t. I need to finish the tune-up and oil change. Baby’s already opened up and the old spark plugs are off.”

Cas hummed in understanding, but the look he was giving Dean was clearly supposed to be significant. As usual, he couldn’t suss it out for the life of him. “What?”

He angled his chin towards Claire and cleared his throat.

He looked back and forth between the two. “What is it?”

Cas’s lips pursed and Dean was starting to think he was missing something important. “Do you need a helper?”

Dean _really_ didn’t want to explain how horrible it had gone. “I think I’ll have to wait another year or two for that.”

“Dean.” His voice was firm, almost angry. “What about a _different_ little helper?”

Suddenly he understood, and with that understanding came a flood of embarrassment. He had been so fixated on teaching the ‘ _manly’_ arts to little Jack, that he completely ignored his daughter. God, she had even asked if she could help and he told her _no_. He wanted to curse and throw something, but instead, he turned to Claire with an apologetic smile. “Claire Bear, do you want to help me with Baby? I can teach you how to do an oil change.”

She dropped the Lego robot immediately and hopped to her feet. “Really?”

“Of course! You have to put on some old clothes, though… We don’t want to ruin your nice shirt.”

Claire tore it off then and there, flinging the fabric across the room. Neither man had it in them to ruin her excitement by chastising her, so they just watched as she pulled out an old shirt and put on a pair of black tights.

Dean turned to Cas and mouthed _sorry_ before taking Claire’s hand and leading her to the garage. Already, he was making plans to buy her a child’s set of coveralls and little work boots. It went a long way in smoothing over the sinking feeling in his gut.

This time when he explained the parts of the car, Claire nodded along and even asked questions. “How fast can Baby go?” “What does the radiator do?” “What if you put cranberry juice in it instead of oil?” “When am I going to be able to drive?” It was heartwarming, and she reminded him so much of a younger version of himself that he was getting a little emotional as she shakily held the flashlight and talked his ear off while he finished putting on the new spark plugs.

By the time they were both on their backs under Baby and watching oil stream into the oil pan, the guilt was weighing him down. She was having a hell of a time, making whooshing sounds as the dark oil continued to flow and poking at Baby’s undercarriage, covering her hands in grease and grime. He couldn’t help but think about how she asked to help this morning and he had said _no._ Why had he been so fixated on Jack being the one to help? He knew the answer, but admitting it out loud would almost make it worse. Thank god Claire was too young to realize her daddy Dee was an asshole…

Claire had a smile on her face the entire time, babbling about everything from her favorite tv show to the dog she saw on their walk last night. She was having so much fun that when Dean finally put in the new oil filter and called the job done, she actually complained.

“You know what I used to do with my dad when we finished working on Baby?”

“What?”

“We used to go out for ice cream.” It wasn’t true at all, but he saw no harm in the white lie especially if it could get him some more time with his daughter. “Want to continue the tradition?”

Her eyes lit up. “Can I have a waffle cone?”

Dean smiled and sent a quick text to Cas. “Sure, kid. Let's go before it gets too late. Daddy will kill us if we eat dessert too close to dinner.”

They drove down to the nearest ice cream shop and both got chocolate-dipped waffle cones filled with two scoops of ice cream. Bright blue cotton candy with sprinkles for her, and cookie dough for him. As they made their way home with ice cream dripped on his shirt and Claire’s lips stained blue, he couldn’t stop smiling and feeling like maybe he _was_ pretty good at this dad thing.

Still, he had that nagging guilt in his chest as he walked into the house and saw Cas in the kitchen starting their dinner with Jack perched at his hip. Hours later, when they were both in bed, he brought it up to Cas.

”I just feel like such an ass,” he sighed into Cas’s shoulder. “Do you think Claire was mad at me? Shit… do you think she hates me?”

Cas tutted and continued to stroke Dean’s arm. “No, she doesn’t hate you. Claire’s only seven so I don’t think she even knows how to hate anyone yet.”

That didn’t make him feel any better. “Me and my dad used to work on Baby together, and I had all these dreams of teaching my son how to take care of her… and I got so excited about doing that with Jack that I just completely ignored Claire. I feel like shit.”

He smoothed a hand over Dean’s hair and down his cheek, cupping his chin to turn Dean’s gaze to meet his. “Yes, it was a mistake, but you learned from it and both of you were able to have a lot of fun.”

“It was awesome.”

“Good. Now you know Claire is a willing student, and once Jack turns five or six, you can teach him too.”

“The fact that it never occurred to me that I can teach _both_ of them proves that I’m—”

“Don’t you dare finish that sentence.”

Dean sighed and went back to trying to fuse his face into Cas’s neck. “Fine, I’ll just think it in my head instead.”

“Dean,” Cas rumbled, “stop beating yourself up. It was an honest mistake, and I understand why you did it. You can still have the experience of working on your car with Jack, but you have to wait a while longer. You just get to have that with Claire first. There’s no law stating you can only teach one child how to work on the car. You can have your cake and eat it too, you know.”

“How the hell are you so smart?”

Cas just continued stroking Dean’s head, lulling him into a boneless puddle. “I wish I had something I can do with Claire, but other than her lecturing about history, I don’t know what to do. She’s growing up so fast...”

Dean couldn’t help but laugh at that. “You’re kidding, right? I take it back… you’re not smart.”

Cas pinched his bicep. “Don’t be rude.”

“Come on, Cas. You dress her up like a little lady and take her to reenacting events. How many other kids get that kind of experience?”

“Ok, I guess you’re right.”

“She’ll learn about history from you and cars from me. Sounds pretty well rounded, right?”

“Right.”

When he finally drifted off to sleep, he did so with a smile on his face. Three thousand miles later, when Dean finally needed to do another oil change, he did it with Claire, decked out in her matching pair of gray coveralls.

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you thought!


End file.
